Early Voting starts next week for 2026 Primary Elections; local candidates answer Breckenridge Texan questionnaire

February 11

13:55 2026

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By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

Early voting in the 2026 Primary Election will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and continue through Friday, Feb. 27. Primary Election Day will be Tuesday, March 3.

The ballot will include state and federal offices, such as governor, attorney general, lieutenant governor, U.S. senator, comptroller, land commissioner, ag commissioner, U.S. representatives, and other offices, as well as the county offices of county judge, constable, county commissioner for precincts and 4, county clerk, county treasurer, justice of the peace, and district clerk. The only contested local races are for county judge, constable and commissioner-precinct 4. The other local races are uncontested.

In the County Judge’s race, Bacel Cantrell and Will Thompson are running for the Republican nomination. Current Stephens County Judge Michael Roach did not file for re-election. Click here to see the candidate profiles for Cantrell and Thompson.

For Precinct 4, incumbent Tanner Wade filed for re-election, and Donald Perry filed to run against him. Only voters who live in Precinct 4 will see this race on their ballots. Click here to see their candidate profiles.

For the Republican nomination for Stephens County Constable, incumbent Brian McBride filed for re-election, and Justin Shockley filed to run against him. Click here to see their candidate profiles.

Click here to see a sample ballot for the Stephens County Republican Primary. Note, your ballot may look slightly different, depending on which county precinct you live in.

Click here to see a sample ballot for the Stephens County Democratic Primary.

Polling locations and times

In Stephens County, Early Voting will take place at the Stephens County Courthouse in the first floor hallway/corridor during the following dates and times:

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, Feb. 17-20
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday, Feb. 23-27

On Primary Election Day, Tuesday, March 3, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters will cast their ballots at their respective precinct location, depending on where they live.

Precinct 1 Location: Clear Fork Bank – Tower Room, 101 E. Walker St.
Precinct 2 Location: Presbyterian Church-Fellowship Hall, 1601 W. Elliott St.
Precinct 3 Location: Stephens County Annex Building, 222 N. Baylor
Precinct 4 Location: BISD Support Center-Bus Barn, 907 U.S. Highway 183 North
Precinct 5 Location: Wayland Volunteer Fire Department, 10276 FM 1852

Ballot by Mail

Voting by mail is available to elderly voters, voters with physical disabilities, and voters who will be out of the county for the two-week early voting period and election day.

In order to vote by mail, qualified voters must request a ballot by mail and return it to the Stephens County Elections office by Friday, Feb. 20.

For more details about voting by mail, visit the VoteTexas website, call the Stephens County Clerk’s office at 254-559-3700, or visit the Stephens County Elections webpage.

Voter ID

Registered voters must take an acceptable photo ID with them in order to vote. Acceptable IDs include:

Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
United States Passport (book or card)

With the exception of the U.S. Citizenship Certificate, which does not expire, for voters aged 18-69, the acceptable form of photo identification may be expired no more than four years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place. For voters aged 70 or older, the acceptable form of photo identification may be expired for any length of time if the identification is otherwise valid.

If you do not have one of those types of identification, check with the Stephens County Clerk, at 254-559-3700 for more information.

Uncontested Local Races

County Clerk

County Clerk Jackie Ensey is running for re-election.

County Treasurer

County Treasurer Kelsey Cornwall is running for re-election.

Justice of the Peace

Steve Spoon is running for re-election as Justice of the Peace.

County Commissioner Precinct 2

County Commissioners Mark McCullough, Precinct 2, is running for re-election.

District Clerk

District Clerk Stephanie Elder is running for re-election.

County Party Chairs

County Republican Chair Scott Harris has filed for re-election. County Democratic chair Tom Thompson did not file for re-election, and no other candidates filed for the position.

City Elections

In a separate election cycle, the City of Breckenridge, Breckenridge Independent School District and the Stephens Memorial Hospital District are accepting applications for their board positions through Friday, Feb. 13. That election will be held in May.

Click here for more details on the municipal elections.

Candidate Profiles: Stephens County Judge — 2026 Republican Primary

Candidate Profiles: Stephens County Constable — 2026 Republican Primary

Candidate Profiles: Stephens County Commissioner, Precinct 4 — 2026 Republican Primary

Filing for Stephens County offices ends with three competitive races